Key AI Trends for Ceos to Consider

Every CEO feels it — decisions can’t wait. 📉 The pressure: Strategy, investor updates, and operations now move faster than your data. When metrics live in silos, blind spots multiply and decisions slow. 🤖 How AI is changing the game: AI copilots connect systems, summarize insights, and generate real-time dashboards in plain English—turning data chaos into clarity. ⸻ 8 AI tools redefining the CEO workflow: • Mosaic — A financial planning copilot that connects your ERP, CRM, and HR data into one dynamic dashboard. It builds rolling forecasts and scenario plans automatically, letting you stress-test strategies in seconds. Mosaic helps CEOs replace static spreadsheets with continuous, forward-looking visibility. • Pigment — A collaborative FP&A platform that unifies financial, sales, and operational data. It enables real-time “what-if” modeling and board-ready reporting without Excel chaos. Pigment turns complex planning into a shared, living process for leadership teams. • Microsoft Power BI + Copilot — Microsoft’s analytics suite now includes generative AI that narrates dashboards in natural language. You can ask questions like “What’s driving revenue variance this quarter?” and get instant, visual explanations. It helps CEOs see and understand key trends across every business unit. • Notion AI — More than a workspace, Notion AI drafts meeting summaries, strategy docs, and executive notes automatically. It centralizes company knowledge, connects projects to goals, and produces clear action items. CEOs use it as their digital chief of staff for information synthesis. • ChatGPT Enterprise + Slack Integration — Combines the reasoning power of ChatGPT with real-time Slack access. It retrieves internal data, answers operational questions, and drafts communications instantly. The result: instant, secure intelligence across every department—right in your workflow. • Perplexity Pro — An AI research assistant that provides live, source-cited answers from across the web. It tracks macro trends, competitor updates, and industry moves in real time. CEOs rely on it for fast, verifiable insights when preparing for board meetings or press briefings. • Kore.ai — An AI platform that listens to voice and text interactions across your enterprise to uncover operational signals. It builds conversational analytics layers for service, HR, and customer ops. For CEOs, Kore.ai reveals friction points and efficiency opportunities hiding in daily operations. • Broadwalk .ai — A next-generation copilot that transforms unstructured data—news, filings, sentiment, and market signals—into actionable insights. It helps leaders move from data to direction, detecting early sentiment shifts across portfolios, markets, and competitors. Broadwalk equips CEOs and fund managers with clarity before the market reacts. ⸻ 💡 The best CEOs don’t wait for reports anymore — they converse with their data.

After reviewing dozens of enterprise AI initiatives, I've identified a pattern: the gap between transformational success and expensive disappointment often comes down to how CEOs engage with their technology leadership. Here are five essential questions to ask: 𝟭. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 ��𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲? Strong organizations identify specific proprietary data sets with clear competitive moats. One retail company outperformed competitors 3:1 only because it had systematically captured customer interaction data its competitors couldn't access. 𝟮. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀? Look for specific examples of fundamentally reimagined business processes built for algorithmic scale. Be cautious of responses focusing exclusively on efficiency improvements to existing processes. The market leaders in AI-driven healthcare don't just predict patient outcomes faster, they've architected entirely new care delivery models impossible without AI. 𝟯. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱? Expect a clear decision framework with concrete examples. Be wary of binary "all human" or "all algorithm" approaches, or inability to articulate a coherent model. Organizations with sophisticated human-AI frameworks are achieving 2-3x higher ROI on AI investments compared to those applying technology without this clarity. 𝟰. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀? The best responses link AI initiatives to market-facing metrics like share gain, customer LTV, and price realization. Avoid focusing exclusively on cost reduction or internal efficiency. Competitive separation occurs when organizations measure algorithms' impact on defensive moats and market expansion. 𝟱. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀? Look for specific organizational changes designed to accelerate algorithm-enhanced decisions. Be skeptical of AI contained within traditional technology organizations with standard governance. These questions have helped executive teams identify critical gaps and realign their approach before investing millions in the wrong direction. 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘳: V𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 own 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴.

𝑨 𝑪𝑬𝑶’𝒔 𝑨𝑰 𝑻𝒐-𝑫𝒐 𝑳𝒊𝒔𝒕: 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑩𝒖𝒛𝒛𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝑩𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑽𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆 – AI is no longer a futuristic add-on—it’s a boardroom imperative. But most CEOs still struggle to move beyond the hype and translate AI into tangible business value. A practical and strategic roadmap for executives ready to lead with intelligence, not just implement tools. 𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑻𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔: • 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 Instead of chasing shiny AI tools, start with a clear business problem. Ask: What process can we optimize? What decision can we augment? • 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐱 Success in AI isn’t just about data scientists. It requires collaboration between domain experts, tech teams, and leadership to align goals and ensure adoption. • 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 AI initiatives often fail because of resistance, fear, or misunderstanding. CEOs must actively manage this transformation, just like any other major change—through effective communication, upskilling, and fostering inclusion. • 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 Don’t wait for a PR crisis. Responsible AI requires clear governance, transparency, and ethical safeguards from the outset—especially for models that make decisions affecting people. • 𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐭, 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧, 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 Start small. Use controlled pilots to prove value, then scale what works. Avoid trying to “AI everything” at once. 𝑩𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒐𝒎 𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒆 AI can unlock enormous value—but only when CEOs stop seeing it as an IT initiative and start owning it as a core business transformation strategy. The winners will be those who combine vision with discipline, ethics, and real-world impact. https://lnkd.in/gJ46fRu3

A few reflections coming out of Davos. AI is no longer framed as experimentation or efficiency gains. It has become a CEO and board-level priority, tightly linked to growth, operating model redesign, and competitive advantage. To pull from BCG's newest research, half of CEOs believe their jobs depend on getting AI right and 72% now say they are the main decision makers on AI, nearly double last year’s share. Three themes came up consistently: 1. AI at scale, not pilots Leaders are moving beyond isolated use cases toward AI as a revenue driver and core business capability. The focus has shifted from deploying technology to embedding AI into day-to-day operations. How work gets done, how decisions are made, and how value is created. 2. From models to agents Growing momentum around AI agents and assistive systems that help employees plan, prioritize, and act in real time. This “AI 3.0” shift signals a move from static tools to dynamic, autonomous capabilities that can materially change how organizations operate and sell in 2026. 3. Change management, governance, and partnerships matter more than ever Across discussions and current client projects, it became clear that technology alone is not the constraint. Success depends on change management, rethinking workflows, and building the right governance and infrastructure foundations, including digital sovereignty. No enterprise can do this alone; strong partnerships are essential to move at speed while managing risk. The opportunities are well understood. The challenge now is execution. Many of these perspectives came directly from conversations with technology and ecosystem partners throughout the week. I’ve shared a few of those discussions here for anyone interested in diving deeper: https://lnkd.in/eJZ_pWRf

68% of CEOs say AI is changing aspects of their business they consider **core**. Yet here's what caught my attention in IBM's latest CEO study of 2,000 leaders: while everyone's talking about AI transformation, only 25% of AI initiatives have delivered expected ROI over the past three years. The disconnect is telling. The Real Problem Most organizations are still treating AI like a nice-to-have productivity tool instead of the fundamental business architecture shift it actually is. They're running pilots, celebrating proof-of-concepts, and wondering why nothing scales. But the top-performing CEOs in this study? They're thinking completely differently. What Sets Leaders Apart The standout finding: **61% of leading CEOs say competitive advantage now depends on who has the most advanced generative AI**. These aren't the companies chasing every shiny new model - they're the ones building AI into their core operations systematically. Three patterns separate the winners: 📊 They start with data, not demos. 72% say proprietary data is key to unlocking AI value. You can't just plug and play foundation models and expect magic. 💰 They focus on ROI, not FOMO. Only 52% see value beyond cost reduction, but the leaders measure success differently—customer satisfaction, decision speed, and market responsiveness. 🤝 They borrow what they can't build. 67% say differentiation depends on having the right expertise in the right positions. Smart leaders are partnering aggressively rather than trying to hire their way out of skills gaps. The Bottom Line We're past the pilot phase. The companies that survive the next wave of disruption won't be the ones with the most AI experiments - they'll be the ones who rebuilt their core operations around intelligent systems. The technology is ready. The question is whether your organization is. What trends are you seeing in AI adoption at your company? Are you moving beyond pilots to real transformation? #AITransformation #Leadership #BusinessStrategy

𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨. IBM’s 2025 CEO Study makes it clear: after years of tech-led transformation, something deeper is shifting. The best-performing CEOs are no longer chasing marginal efficiency. They’re using AI to redesign how decisions get made, what gets resourced, and where humans still hold the edge. Here’s what stands out: • 75% of CEOs say they face unprecedented complexity • But only 50% feel they’re ready for it • The gap? Insight. Not data. Not tools. Insight. This isn’t digital transformation. It’s institutional reframing. It’s asking: What are we really trying to solve - and are we still the best vehicle to solve it? Top performers are making five quiet but powerful shifts: 1. 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞-𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 → 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐈-𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 AI isn’t a bolt-on. It’s becoming the operating logic across functions. 2. 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐬 → 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐢𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 Winning orgs are designing for change. Not stability. Not control. Change. 3. 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 → 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Dashboards don’t help if no one knows what to do next. Clarity wins. 4. 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 → 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 Leaders aren’t waiting to be told what’s allowed. They’re inventing responsibly and defending it. 5. 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 → 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 AI is helping answer: Are we spending energy on what matters? Or just moving faster? → Yesterday: Use AI to do the work → Today: Use AI to rethink the work → Tomorrow: Let AI challenge whether the work should exist at all The new scarce resource is not intelligence. It’s clarity - under pressure, at scale, and in motion. This report doesn’t just show how CEOs are using AI. It shows why they’re rethinking the job of leadership itself. It’s a provocation. Not “how fast are we adapting?” But: “Are we even adapting the right things?”

It’s an incredible time to be a leader. No two days are the same with new ideas and challenges coming at you all the time.    Each year, for the last ten years, we’ve spoken to over 1,300 CEOs from across various industries, countries and continents to better understand what drives them, how they are navigating challenges and their views on the greatest risks to growth, as part of our #CEOoutlook survey.    This year’s survey reveals that while confidence in the global economy remains high, it has waned – from 93 percent in 2015 to 72 percent today. Despite this, business leaders continue to show impressive resolve in steering their companies through this era of volatility and transformation. Their strategies and priorities offer a glimpse into the decade ahead.    From the economic and social shockwaves of the pandemic to surging inflation, geopolitical tensions and the rise of AI, leaders have had to adapt to several once-in-a-generation moments happening all at the same time.    The magnitude of these challenges has redefined leadership, requiring CEOs to be more resilient, agile and innovative than ever before.    For me, CEOs navigating the next decade will face four key things: a bold embrace of AI, a renewed commitment to ESG and sustainability as a source of value creation, a deep focus on their people, and an ability to balance competing stakeholder demands.    AI stands at the heart of the current CEO agenda and it’s part of every single conversation I have with our clients. This year’s findings show that 64 percent of CEOs are prioritizing investment in the technology.    However, this optimism is tempered by a sobering view of the immediate impacts. A significant majority (76 percent) of CEOs believe #AI will not fundamentally alter job numbers yet only 38 percent feel their employees are prepared and ready with the skills they need to fully reap the benefits. So, while AI has tremendous transformative potential, its success rests on aligning the rapid technological developments with workforce readiness and ethical considerations.    Another big feature from the last decade has been the rise of #ESG considerations, shifting from a peripheral concern to a central strategic pillar. Nearly a quarter of CEOs see failing to meet ESG targets as a significant competitive disadvantage. Despite the growing politicization of the issues, 76 percent are willing to make tough decisions, such as divesting profitable but reputation-damaging parts of their business to uphold their commitments.   The next decade will, without a doubt, produce its own storms. I believe that the CEOs who set bold strategies and invest in the right technologies to make these plans a reality, will be the ones who deliver sustainable growth for the long-term. https://lnkd.in/gDTiuGUV

Want to know what's dominating CEO conversations? Here is the most recent data for Q3 2025 by Knud Lasse Lueth with IoT Analytics - Hot off the Press! 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: • 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 #𝟏, 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧: Mentions of tariffs appeared in 53% of earnings calls, down 28% from Q2. CEOs are no longer reacting in shock, they’re adapting with structured management strategies. • 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐬 & 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐈 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭: AI was mentioned in 45% of calls (+23% QoQ). Agentic AI references climbed 40% QoQ, with companies like Goldman Sachs piloting AI agents for software development. MCP (Model Context Protocol) also gained attention, appearing in earnings calls for the first time. • 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲): Discussions surged back to 15% of calls, with demand outstripping supply. Microsoft and Prysmian noted capacity constraints, while CEOs flagged energy consumption as a major challenge. • 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐝𝐬) 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: Robotics mentions grew 28% QoQ, with humanoids up 38%. Manufacturing leads the charge, 11% of companies in the sector discussed robotics as a growth engine. • 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬: Mentions of uncertainty dropped 32% QoQ (42% of calls), and recession mentions collapsed by 81% QoQ to their lowest level this year. 𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞: The Q3 CEO agenda reveals a new normal: companies are adapting to tariffs instead of panicking, while AI (especially agentic AI) has shifted from hype to hands-on pilots. Data centers are the backbone of this digital push, but their energy footprint is a growing pain point. Robotics, particularly humanoids, are moving from sci-fi to boardroom reality. The macro storm clouds of uncertainty and recession seem to be clearing…for now. What stands out to me is the speed of adoption, CEOs aren’t waiting for perfect clarity; they’re experimenting in parallel across AI, robotics, and digital infrastructure. That makes governance and ROI tracking more critical than ever, without a clear framework, investments risk becoming fragmented or misaligned. 𝐌𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞: Move quickly, but don’t skip the scaffolding. Build strong governance and ROI gates into your AI and robotics initiatives so you can scale the winners and cut the noise before it burns resources. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭: https://lnkd.in/eQZAmuVg ******************************************* • Visit www.jeffwinterinsights.com for access to all my content and to stay current on Industry 4.0 and other cool tech trends • Ring the 🔔 for notifications!

CEOs don’t realize that when they ask for AI agents, what they’re really asking for is: ✅ Data To Information Transformation ✅ Infrastructure Upgrades For Model Training & Inference Serving ✅ Comprehensive Information & AI Governance Guardrails ✅ Organizational Transformation ✅ Internal Training & Upskilling ✅ Process, Workflow, & Product Reinvention I have worked with large enterprise clients for 13 years, and I haven’t had one start AI-ready yet, but they all think they are. When internal voices try to tell C-level leaders the truth, it doesn’t go well, and here’s why. Data platform vendors have been selling AI-ready for years, but in reality, they’ve been getting customers BI-ready. BI-first platforms have made cosmetic changes and rebranded themselves as AI-ready. Consultants have been transforming businesses to be BI-first with an AI-first price tag. It’s the same playbook, except every mention of data and analytics is replaced with AI. It’s all sales and marketing without the functional substance to support a completely new paradigm. Enterprises truly believe they are AI-ready and can’t understand why their technical teams can’t make AI magic happen the same way they see it work in the demos or customer use cases presented at conferences. Dear CEOs, When you see a ‘simple drag and drop’ agentic interface, ask about the foundational pieces required to make it look easy. When internal technical voices raise concerns or discuss the need for foundational components, trust them. When you see dancing robots on stage or video demos of them folding laundry, be skeptical. Read the fine print and have technical voices in the room asking tough questions about what’s really going on. Opportunities hide in the hype. AI, agents, robots, and all our new tech waves don’t work perfectly and don’t deploy easily. But there’s still massive value to be had, both short-term and long-term. Be aware of what they don’t do so you can refocus on what they are capable of today. Value doesn’t have to take years to materialize. Foundational steps can deliver immediate value while setting up for the future. Be a pragmatic futurist. Identify the disruption to reveal the opportunities and customers that help define high-value products. Foundational work amplifies the value of long-term initiatives & those bigger bets amplify the returns of foundational investments. Think in terms of flywheels, not get-rich-quick schemes, and you’ll be far more successful with AI.

If you’re a CEO, stop asking what AI can do.  Start asking where your people still make the difference, and what skills they need to build and reinforce.    As AI redefines performance and the nature of work itself, it is more important than ever to identify and assess the skills that will matter most—and to do so continuously. Building that muscle will determine which companies stay ahead.   Closing the #AI talent gap will require CEOs to lead from the front—and to mobilize parts of the organization that haven’t traditionally worked closely together.    Four moves matter most:  - Build a top-team talent alliance. The CHRO, CIO, and legal leaders must become co-architects of the company’s people strategy.  - Grow the talent pool with expansive upskilling programs, across all functions, not just tech.  - Strengthen the broader learning ecosystem. Companies can’t close the skills gap alone. CEOs can build partnerships with governments, industry coalitions, and academic institutions to modernize lifelong learning and accelerate AI readiness.  - Lead with transparency and vision, so employees see opportunity, not threat.    Pleased to share our new article, co-written with my BCG colleagues Orsolya Kovacs-Ondrejkovic and David Martin: https://lnkd.in/e57dsB37